Finally made it home to Munich this morning - and it is really hot!
Some pictures added to Picasa: https://picasaweb.google.com/111243362282378595282/SriLanka
Yesterday, we took a van from the Kalpitiya peninsula to the airport. As our flight was not until 20.25 in the evening, we had plenty of time. So we decided to go into Negombo. We had seen some nice leather bags on our first day in Sri Lanka in Negombo, so we wanted to take a closer look at these. We didn't really know how to deal with the logistics because we did not want to carry around all our luggage in the heat and there was no luggage depository service in the airport. Eventually, we worked out a solution: We booked a car, that was big enough to fit us all and our luggage, to take us around in Negombo for shopping. We had a good time trying to spend our last Rupees (in the end we didnt succeed and still had to exchange the last money!) and got two leather bags, loads of spices, tea, spicy snacks and other souvenirs.
The check-in and flight to Doha proceeded painlessly (God bless the good entertainment system that kept Michael happy...). As we arrived five hours later in Doha, however, we were all really tired. The airport was cramped with people (lots of noisy Chinese folks...). After two-three hours painful waiting we were finally called out for boarding, only to find out that we had to wait in a small hall and were then taken for a bus ride that seemed to go on for ever (especially, as I was carrying Michael who was having a minor crisis). Finally, we were let into the airplane ("Dreamliner") and the blessed entertainment system - and Michael was happy again. He watched "Iron Man 3" three times! We arrived in Munich in the early morning to a clear blue sky. Taking the train and the bus, we made it home around 9.30. We are all really tired but happy to be home again!
We had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka and are now getting ready for our holiday in Denmark - we are off tomorrow morning, so there is some packing to be done!
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Yesterday, we went from our Dambulla hotel, Amaya Lake, to Palagama Beach on the Kalpitiya peninsula on the west coast of Sri Lanka. It is quite a funny experience as the hotel is a boutique hotel with the concept of putting a five star hotel room into a cabana...
Today, Hiroko and I went on a tuk-tuk ride, seeing a couple of old churches (from the Dutch and British era), the closest bigger town, the lagoon, and the beach. The lagoon looks really nice. We are going on a boat trip to some of the islands in the lagoon tomorrow.
The kids just splashed around in the "infinity pool" (looks rather finite in reality) the whole day.
Today, Hiroko and I went on a tuk-tuk ride, seeing a couple of old churches (from the Dutch and British era), the closest bigger town, the lagoon, and the beach. The lagoon looks really nice. We are going on a boat trip to some of the islands in the lagoon tomorrow.
The kids just splashed around in the "infinity pool" (looks rather finite in reality) the whole day.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Link
On Tuesday (23/7) we left A-bay and was driven by the brother-in-law of the cook from our place to our new up-scale place near Dambulla, called Amaya Lake. It is a different world here, we have two aircon deluxe rooms with hot water etc. The whole area around the hotel is like a big park - and you can easily get lost among the many "huts" on the ground.
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A huge swimming pool (only one of several) in the Water Gardens at the foot of the rock, used for the 500 damsels of the King. The Water Gardens were strictly symmetrical, like Versaille (only 1000 years older), and even had fountains (powered by the water pressure from higher grounds).
https://sites.google.com/site/satorkoden/
On Tuesday (23/7) we left A-bay and was driven by the brother-in-law of the cook from our place to our new up-scale place near Dambulla, called Amaya Lake. It is a different world here, we have two aircon deluxe rooms with hot water etc. The whole area around the hotel is like a big park - and you can easily get lost among the many "huts" on the ground.
Our new rooms are nice.
Spending time in the pool
Easy living
On Wednesday (24/7), we went to Dambulla to see the cave temples dating back to 100 bc. We climbed up the mountain and was shown around by a guide. There are 5 cave temples from various periods.
Standing in front of the temple caves.
Giant Buddha lying in cave, cut out of granite (2100 years old!)
Walking down the mountain. A giant golden Buddha.
Today Thursday, we went to Sigiriya Rock, an old palace (or the ruins of it) built on and around a
200 m tall rock. It was expensive but well worth it. We also bought some "magic boxes" - a book-like thing cut out of hardwood (teak) which can only be opened if you know how. The kids got one each and loved them.
In front of Sigiriya Rock (yes we climbed all the way to the top to see the palace ruins).
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The lion gate. Only the paws are left. There used to be an entire lion's head and you would enter by the mouth.
Jump of joy. We reached the top, where the winter palace once stood (only ruins left). There is a fantastic 360 degree view from up there. Unfortunately it started raining when we came up so the photos are not that great. Around the rock you see dense jungle, lakes, and mountains.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Added new pictures on Picasa: https://picasaweb.google.com/111243362282378595282/SriLanka
Philip surfing in Arugam Bay
Today is our last day in Arugam Bay. We just wanted to relax and enjoy the beach life today so we went to Mambo's beach directly after breakfast. We immediately rented a board for Philip and he spent hours in the waves AND he got the hang of it - he caught many waves and was able to surf on them!
After the beach, we went to a primitive Rotti-shop and had some seriously cheap food - rotti (thin baked bread - like pancakes but more bread-like - with various fillings, chicken, tomatoes, onions etc), noodles, and pancakes with chocolate and coconut. For drinks we had freshly made mango lassie (like a smoothie made from mango and youghurt). The food was very good and we ate too much...
Hiroko in the Rotti shop
Tomorrow, we are off to Dambula (close to the cultural points of interest in the north) and our luxury resort there, for 4 days of pampering... We have booked a minibus for 9 in the morning to take us there. Supposedly, it only takes 5 hours, but I wonder...
In the evening we had another great meal with "lobster" (langoustine) and prawns, falafel, rotti, humus, tomato/avocado salsa etc.
In the evening we had another great meal with "lobster" (langoustine) and prawns, falafel, rotti, humus, tomato/avocado salsa etc.
Another great meal.
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Yesterday at Mambo's beach I went around asking people for opportunities to go fishing with a boat. An old non-English speaking fisherman directed me to a little kiosk behind the fishing shack at the beach. A friendly old man promised to talk to somebody at his tea house (the kiosk). I noticed, that they prepared some very delicious looking rotti (thin soft bread from a pan - like pancakes) in front of the tea house.
After some hours at the beach we all decided to go to the tea house to see if things had developed with respect to the fishing trip. A younger man (son of the old man) who spoke good English was very helpful. He suggested to go with his brother who was a fisherman. We could meet at his sister's restaurant next door in the evening (they seemed to be one big clan around here). As the restaurant was very small we went immediately to order the food for the evening and agree on a time when we would come, so they had time to prepare.
In the evening we took a tuk-tuk to the sister's restaurant (called Samanti's Restaurant). There were only four groups of tables - the biggest reserved for us. She served up some really nice food and fresh fruit juice at very modest prices. During the dinner, I had the opportunity to talk to the fisherman and we negotiated a price for the boat trip. The rest of the family seemed like nice people but the fisherman looked like a criminal. Indeed, the nicer brother did not refrain from telling me how badly the life of the brother was going because he was drinking and fighting and had done some shady business to the point of loosing his own boat. He was now at the mercy of some boat master who was actually the one who owned the boat we were to do the fishing trip in. That guy therefore had the final word on the price of our expedition and was also present. After some negotiations we landed at my suggestion of 7000 Rp (42 Eur) for a three hour fishing trip with a 1000 Rp. bonus (6 Eur.) if we would actually catch tuna.
At 5 am - pitch black night - Philip and I sneaked out of the guest house gate and set off a chain reaction of barking dogs in the alley. The good brother came to pick us up in his tuk-tuk.
-Is your brother awake? was my first question.
-Yes, waking him up was the first thing I did when I got up. He is now drinking tea, laughed the good brother.
Arriving at the beach, we saw a lot of young people staggering home from Mambo´s after some serious partying. We waited politely on the bad brother to finish his morning tea, wondering what kind of mood he would appear in. After 5 minutes he came out and we went to the beach. I helped hauling the boat out in the sea and we set off, negotiating the big waves to get past the surf.
On the sea, the bad brother turned out to be rather friendly and very skilled in handling the boat and fishing lines at the same time. He had up to four hand lines out at the same time, and I used my rod. We saw fly fish coming out of the water like little bullets - meaning, that there were predator fish at work under the surface. However, we didn't catch anything. After some uneventful trawling back and forth, the fisherman saw some birds diving into the water very far away. (I couldn't see anything). He raced in that direction, making the prow of the boat jump high in the air and clash down hard into the next wave, sending me flying and seeking refuge in the stern of the boat together with Philip and the fisherman. We arrived while the party was still going on. We saw tuna jump out of the water in pursuit of small prey fish and birds diving to get the small fish, when surfacing. Cruising through the area, we quickly got two tunas on. Philip happily hand lined one of them into the boat.
In the evening, Hiroko had arranged to follow the cooking for the barbecue in the kitchen as a cooking class. We have been so fond of the food here, that we were keen to learn how it was made. Hiroko found it very interesting. Among other things, she was impressed, that they used a wood-fired stove. The french fries, that Miki has been eating almost every day are made from scratch and so is the ketchup!
At 5 am - pitch black night - Philip and I sneaked out of the guest house gate and set off a chain reaction of barking dogs in the alley. The good brother came to pick us up in his tuk-tuk.
-Is your brother awake? was my first question.
-Yes, waking him up was the first thing I did when I got up. He is now drinking tea, laughed the good brother.
Arriving at the beach, we saw a lot of young people staggering home from Mambo´s after some serious partying. We waited politely on the bad brother to finish his morning tea, wondering what kind of mood he would appear in. After 5 minutes he came out and we went to the beach. I helped hauling the boat out in the sea and we set off, negotiating the big waves to get past the surf.
On the sea, the bad brother turned out to be rather friendly and very skilled in handling the boat and fishing lines at the same time. He had up to four hand lines out at the same time, and I used my rod. We saw fly fish coming out of the water like little bullets - meaning, that there were predator fish at work under the surface. However, we didn't catch anything. After some uneventful trawling back and forth, the fisherman saw some birds diving into the water very far away. (I couldn't see anything). He raced in that direction, making the prow of the boat jump high in the air and clash down hard into the next wave, sending me flying and seeking refuge in the stern of the boat together with Philip and the fisherman. We arrived while the party was still going on. We saw tuna jump out of the water in pursuit of small prey fish and birds diving to get the small fish, when surfacing. Cruising through the area, we quickly got two tunas on. Philip happily hand lined one of them into the boat.
Philip with the catch of the day together with the not-so-bad brother
The tunas prepared by our cook
As we got on land, Philip was celebrated by the brothers' very friendly parents and he was even photographed, fish in hands, by random people passing by. We arranged to have the fish for lunch along with rice and curry - it was a good meal and we couldn't finish all the tuna although we tried hard.
In the evening, Hiroko had arranged to follow the cooking for the barbecue in the kitchen as a cooking class. We have been so fond of the food here, that we were keen to learn how it was made. Hiroko found it very interesting. Among other things, she was impressed, that they used a wood-fired stove. The french fries, that Miki has been eating almost every day are made from scratch and so is the ketchup!
The chef at work at the wood-fired stove in the kitchen.
One of "our boys" with a fish being prepared for the grill.
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Put some new pics on Picasa: https://picasaweb.google.com/111243362282378595282/SriLanka
We took it easy in the morning, then Hiroko and I went to Mambo's beach (small waves) with Michael.
Breakfast in the chil-out corner
Miki with an iced tea.
Mai at Mambo's with her freshly made fruit juice - decorated with an exotic flower.
In the afternoon we went on a boat trip on the lagoon. It so happened, that we shared tuk-tuks to go to the lagoon with the other Danish family.
On the boat on the lagoon (eagle in background).
The lagoon turned out to be a vast stretch of shallow brackish water. The lagoon is home to a lot of small fish, birds (predator birds eating the fish), salt-water crocodiles, mangrove trees, and elephants that come to feed on mangrove trees. We constantly saw little fish flying over the water - it turned out that they jump to escape larger fish, sometimes as far as a couple of meters and with several jumps in a row. It was an interesting sight. The mangrove trees are full of a strange-looking green bean-like fruit, which the fishermen who paddled us called "beans" - they picked a few of them for us and it turned out that you can make a kind of whistle from the upper part of it.
Hiroko on the boat with the fishermen in the background
The lagoon with the mangrove trees
Friday, 19 July 2013
Yesterday we took it easy the whole morning, Mai and I still recovering from our illness. We were just hanging around the bar until the afternoon. Then we took two tuk-tuks to Mambo's - the beach where the waves are not so big and where they have sunbeds in the shade.
Hiroko and Mai went into the beach bar and got freshly made juice, beautifully decorated with flowers. Philip rented a surf board and after practicing for more than an hour he finally succeeded in riding the waves a couple of times. Well done!
We sat next to a Danish couple. They saved our biscuits from the crows when we were in the water and we got to talk a little. They were also amazed at how many Danes were in A-bay.
In the evening we had seared tuna for dinner (half raw tuna). It was delicious!
Today we have planned a boat trip on the lagoon in the afternoon. In the morning Hiroko and I will go to Pottuvil for some errands and Mai will take the boys to the beach. We plan to spend the morning at the beach.
Hiroko and Mai went into the beach bar and got freshly made juice, beautifully decorated with flowers. Philip rented a surf board and after practicing for more than an hour he finally succeeded in riding the waves a couple of times. Well done!
We sat next to a Danish couple. They saved our biscuits from the crows when we were in the water and we got to talk a little. They were also amazed at how many Danes were in A-bay.
In the evening we had seared tuna for dinner (half raw tuna). It was delicious!
Today we have planned a boat trip on the lagoon in the afternoon. In the morning Hiroko and I will go to Pottuvil for some errands and Mai will take the boys to the beach. We plan to spend the morning at the beach.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Mai and I have just spent 24 hours in hell. We caught a stomach infection and spent the whole day yesterday in bed with a high fever.
Because I was ill, I had to skip the surfing and Hiroko instead went with Philip for the surfing lesson. They took a tuk-tuk to Elephan rock, where the waves are a lot smaller. Philip was able to actually stand up and surf on the board from the first attempt.
Today, Mai and I are doing a lot better and we had breakfast. I am still feeling a bit weak but hopefully I will soon be able to go swimming with Michael again.
Because I was ill, I had to skip the surfing and Hiroko instead went with Philip for the surfing lesson. They took a tuk-tuk to Elephan rock, where the waves are a lot smaller. Philip was able to actually stand up and surf on the board from the first attempt.
Today, Mai and I are doing a lot better and we had breakfast. I am still feeling a bit weak but hopefully I will soon be able to go swimming with Michael again.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Today we spent the whole day by the beach. Michael had so much fun splashing in the waves and Philip was practicing his skills with a body-board we had rented for the day. At the rental shop we made an appointment to get surf lessons tomorrow - so Philip and I will go with a tuk-tuk to a nearby surfing place at seven in the morning tomorrow.
For lunch we went to Gecko and tried their home made burgers (home baked bread and home made beef patty). It was rather good. We then had their ice cream for dessert, which was excellent. However, the service was less than attentive and the prices close to Western level.
In the evening I went running with Hiroko. We went out to the big surfing point and watched some pretty skilled surfers playing around in the waves while running.
For lunch we went to Gecko and tried their home made burgers (home baked bread and home made beef patty). It was rather good. We then had their ice cream for dessert, which was excellent. However, the service was less than attentive and the prices close to Western level.
In the evening I went running with Hiroko. We went out to the big surfing point and watched some pretty skilled surfers playing around in the waves while running.
Monday, 15 July 2013
Here are some pictures on Picasa of the whole trip:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111243362282378595282/SriLanka
We went to Yala National Park on safari today. We shared a jeep with a German woman. We took off at around 13.00 and drove down the coast to Kumana National Park - or what was previously known as East Yala National Park. According to our guide book it was recently re-opened after the civil war.
After a good hour we arrived to the entry gate to the park. We had to get out and pay the entry fee and a ranger came into the jeep with us. He acted as a guide and was very knowledgeable about the animals. We first came through an arid dry bush landscape. This season is apparently the dry season and most of the tanks (the water reservoirs that get filled up during the wet season in November-January) are dried out. What struck us was the high animal density. We constantly saw animals - Water Buffaloes, Iguanas, Deer, big predator birds, crocodiles (as many as 20 in a small water hole).
We came across elephants several places, lone male specimen. One of them took an interest in our vehicle and came up really close. It was quite exciting!
We then came to a larger tank where the jungle was incredibly lush. The area was a bird sanctuary and we went up into an observation tower. The view was fantastic! Later we continued to a place close to the tank, where we met some very cute monkeys that we could hand feed.
It was late when we came back to our place. Another great barbecue was waiting for us with grilled King Mackerel (Seer) and BIG crabs from the lagoon. It was perfect.
https://picasaweb.google.com/111243362282378595282/SriLanka
We went to Yala National Park on safari today. We shared a jeep with a German woman. We took off at around 13.00 and drove down the coast to Kumana National Park - or what was previously known as East Yala National Park. According to our guide book it was recently re-opened after the civil war.
After a good hour we arrived to the entry gate to the park. We had to get out and pay the entry fee and a ranger came into the jeep with us. He acted as a guide and was very knowledgeable about the animals. We first came through an arid dry bush landscape. This season is apparently the dry season and most of the tanks (the water reservoirs that get filled up during the wet season in November-January) are dried out. What struck us was the high animal density. We constantly saw animals - Water Buffaloes, Iguanas, Deer, big predator birds, crocodiles (as many as 20 in a small water hole).
We came across elephants several places, lone male specimen. One of them took an interest in our vehicle and came up really close. It was quite exciting!
We then came to a larger tank where the jungle was incredibly lush. The area was a bird sanctuary and we went up into an observation tower. The view was fantastic! Later we continued to a place close to the tank, where we met some very cute monkeys that we could hand feed.
It was late when we came back to our place. Another great barbecue was waiting for us with grilled King Mackerel (Seer) and BIG crabs from the lagoon. It was perfect.
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Woke up at 6 in our cabana and couldn't sleep. Well, no reason to waste good vacation time - what would be the best option: Go running on the beach or go fishing? I figured Hiroko would like to join me for a run in the afternoon so I decided to go fishing.
I sneaked down to the beach with my gear in the rucksack and heart beating heavily. What was waiting for me in the water? Tried a few casts in the sea with a silver lure. Difficult because of the big waves. After a couple of casts I decided to try the lagoon side instead (yeah, that's where all the nasty stuff is, like crocodiles...you might want to wear closed shoes if you want to move around in the reeds here...) but where I was standing it was too shallow to be really serious. Decided to give the ocean side another go. Threw a few times - and BOOM- on the third cast I was in. Something really big and heavy was on the hook. I fought like crazy with a racing heart. It pulled line out and I rolled it back in. I was gaining in on the fish. At last I was able to actually see the fish as I pulled it closer - it was something big alright. I used the breaking surf to bring in the fish closer and finally it lay there on the wet sand as the wave was receding. In a glimpse I could see a big fat silvery body with very big scales. But what the devil? The lure was lying on top of the fish. Had I - God forbid it - hooked it in the body? SPLASH a big wave crashed down on me and the fish. Something bit me in the toe under water. What was going on here? I fell on my behind and as the water receded again, I could see that I had hooked myself in the toe and the fish was gone. So it turned out that as the fish got twirled around in the surf, it had become un-hooked and the lure was lying freely on top of the fish (I had not hooked it in the body..phew).
Later during the day we went swimming (Philip and Michael) and fishing (Me, with a vengeance) A Srilankan guy comes up to me and the following dialogue takes place:
-Did you catch anything? said he.
-No, nothing so far. But I had a bigun on the hook this morning, I replied. A big silvery fatty of a fish. Big scales. Do you know this kind of fish? (Hoping to get enlightened).
-Was it red? (Probably thinking it could be a Red Snapper)
-No, it was kind of silvery, like silver colored.
-Oh, I know this fish. I am a fisherman, although I don't fish right now because it is out of season.
-Do you know the name of it?
-Yeah, that is a White Snapper. Very taste, good for barbecue. Where are you from?
-Denmark
-Where do you stay?
-Galaxy Lounge
-Do you smoke something?
-No, nothing at all.
-OK. Because if you want something, I have it.
-Oh, no.
-OK (lost interest in the conversation and went away)
Today Hiroko and I took a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil to do some shopping. Needed a straw hat, sun lotion (we are using the stuff by the bucket in our family right now) and some bait for fishing - shrimps would be good. So we asked the tuk-tuk driver if there was a fish market in town. He answered in the affirmative. Being dropped off in a foreign world with people staring suspiciously at the unlikely, exotic sight of me (a Westerner) with my Asian wife, we followed the stench of rotten fish (no lie) to find the fish market. It led us into a labyrinth of narrow alleys of fruit and vegetable stands, where everybody was trying to push us their products. Did we not want tomatoes, or potatoes or something else, that we didn't even know what was? No, thanks. Keep smiling and keep going... The smell grew stronger. Lo and behold, the last narrow passageway opened up to some fish stalls. Many different kinds of fish on sale, big ones, small ones. Some seemingly offering more flies than fish. And boom, there it was, an old guy pushing fresh looking prawns. Yes, please, could I have some of these? 300 lkr for these? (1,80 Eur) The man showing me the amount of shrimp. Sure, whatever. The man, feeling pity for a stupid tourist like me, giving me back change, corresponding to a price of 250 lkr.
Bought some very cheap stuff and hurried back to our tuk-tuk, which took us back to our well-known, comfortable world at the beach.
We chilled out in the bar over lunch and did some wave-wrestling in the second half period of our swimming time. Then went on a very pleasant run with Hiroko along the beach. Combined it with swimming in the lukewarm water. Swell.
In the evening we went to the upscale Danish place, The Stardust, almost next door along the beach. Had a brilliant dinner with home made ice cream, where they had used coconut milk instead of regular milk. We tried the coconut-chocolate with roasted cashew nuts. It was delicious! Here is something to start experimenting with when we get back home.
Sitting in the bar with a beer right now, writing this blog. Rest of the family is sleeping in the cabana. Pea, the manager, is starting to turn the lights off, so I guess it is time for me to join them.
I sneaked down to the beach with my gear in the rucksack and heart beating heavily. What was waiting for me in the water? Tried a few casts in the sea with a silver lure. Difficult because of the big waves. After a couple of casts I decided to try the lagoon side instead (yeah, that's where all the nasty stuff is, like crocodiles...you might want to wear closed shoes if you want to move around in the reeds here...) but where I was standing it was too shallow to be really serious. Decided to give the ocean side another go. Threw a few times - and BOOM- on the third cast I was in. Something really big and heavy was on the hook. I fought like crazy with a racing heart. It pulled line out and I rolled it back in. I was gaining in on the fish. At last I was able to actually see the fish as I pulled it closer - it was something big alright. I used the breaking surf to bring in the fish closer and finally it lay there on the wet sand as the wave was receding. In a glimpse I could see a big fat silvery body with very big scales. But what the devil? The lure was lying on top of the fish. Had I - God forbid it - hooked it in the body? SPLASH a big wave crashed down on me and the fish. Something bit me in the toe under water. What was going on here? I fell on my behind and as the water receded again, I could see that I had hooked myself in the toe and the fish was gone. So it turned out that as the fish got twirled around in the surf, it had become un-hooked and the lure was lying freely on top of the fish (I had not hooked it in the body..phew).
Later during the day we went swimming (Philip and Michael) and fishing (Me, with a vengeance) A Srilankan guy comes up to me and the following dialogue takes place:
-Did you catch anything? said he.
-No, nothing so far. But I had a bigun on the hook this morning, I replied. A big silvery fatty of a fish. Big scales. Do you know this kind of fish? (Hoping to get enlightened).
-Was it red? (Probably thinking it could be a Red Snapper)
-No, it was kind of silvery, like silver colored.
-Oh, I know this fish. I am a fisherman, although I don't fish right now because it is out of season.
-Do you know the name of it?
-Yeah, that is a White Snapper. Very taste, good for barbecue. Where are you from?
-Denmark
-Where do you stay?
-Galaxy Lounge
-Do you smoke something?
-No, nothing at all.
-OK. Because if you want something, I have it.
-Oh, no.
-OK (lost interest in the conversation and went away)
Today Hiroko and I took a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil to do some shopping. Needed a straw hat, sun lotion (we are using the stuff by the bucket in our family right now) and some bait for fishing - shrimps would be good. So we asked the tuk-tuk driver if there was a fish market in town. He answered in the affirmative. Being dropped off in a foreign world with people staring suspiciously at the unlikely, exotic sight of me (a Westerner) with my Asian wife, we followed the stench of rotten fish (no lie) to find the fish market. It led us into a labyrinth of narrow alleys of fruit and vegetable stands, where everybody was trying to push us their products. Did we not want tomatoes, or potatoes or something else, that we didn't even know what was? No, thanks. Keep smiling and keep going... The smell grew stronger. Lo and behold, the last narrow passageway opened up to some fish stalls. Many different kinds of fish on sale, big ones, small ones. Some seemingly offering more flies than fish. And boom, there it was, an old guy pushing fresh looking prawns. Yes, please, could I have some of these? 300 lkr for these? (1,80 Eur) The man showing me the amount of shrimp. Sure, whatever. The man, feeling pity for a stupid tourist like me, giving me back change, corresponding to a price of 250 lkr.
Bought some very cheap stuff and hurried back to our tuk-tuk, which took us back to our well-known, comfortable world at the beach.
We chilled out in the bar over lunch and did some wave-wrestling in the second half period of our swimming time. Then went on a very pleasant run with Hiroko along the beach. Combined it with swimming in the lukewarm water. Swell.
In the evening we went to the upscale Danish place, The Stardust, almost next door along the beach. Had a brilliant dinner with home made ice cream, where they had used coconut milk instead of regular milk. We tried the coconut-chocolate with roasted cashew nuts. It was delicious! Here is something to start experimenting with when we get back home.
Sitting in the bar with a beer right now, writing this blog. Rest of the family is sleeping in the cabana. Pea, the manager, is starting to turn the lights off, so I guess it is time for me to join them.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Philip and Michael are running around on the beach, catching crabs in the dark with a flashlight. We are sitting on the beach terrace of the place where we stay, the Galaxy Lounge. We are waiting for our dinner. Tonight they are making a barbecue. An old man lit a fire close to the beach some time ago and we saw him recently with a giant banana leaf with food in, heading for the fire. We look forward to our dinner...
Philip in one of the hammocks at the beach bar.
Bed time story under mosquito net in our cabana.
This morning we organized a van to take us from the mountains to Arugam Bay at the east coast of Sri Lanka. During the trip, the temperature soared from pleasant twenties to something which must be a good deal higher than thirty. Stepping out of the van and into the heat felt like being punched in the stomach. It turned out, that we arrived in the middle of a scheduled power outage which would last until the evening. So, the fans in our primitive cabana did't work and it was very hot in there... Michael complained about a stomach ache and was waling a bit. Great start. We sat down in the bar where it was nice and breezy and got some drinks and snacks. The manager, Pea, a British Srilankan, recommended to give Michael an Ayuverdan tea (Sri Lankan medicine), which we did. Michael of course didn't like the tea and hardly drank any of it but felt better anyhow. (We figured he had been feeling bad because he had been motion sick from playing on the tablet in the van while we were travelling, pretty crazy driving, by the way).
After recovering from the trip, we went to the beach. The waves are incredible. Michael and Philip had a lot of fun playing around in them. The water is really warm - the warmest we have tried, I think. Warmer than what we tried in Okinawa. For us adults, it is a bit stressful because we have to watch that Michael doesn't get flushed away by the big waves (he is not very cautious and just laughs and jumps out in the water...). Philip lost his new diving goggles when being spun around in the water by a big wave.
Now, we have had our dinner. It turned out to be a buffet. After roasting the food on the fire, two giant red grilled fish and a lot of other stuff were served on a table and everybody got the food and ate at the same time. The food was excellent and it was really very cozy, with the ocean roaring in the background and everybody having their meal at the same time.
After recovering from the trip, we went to the beach. The waves are incredible. Michael and Philip had a lot of fun playing around in them. The water is really warm - the warmest we have tried, I think. Warmer than what we tried in Okinawa. For us adults, it is a bit stressful because we have to watch that Michael doesn't get flushed away by the big waves (he is not very cautious and just laughs and jumps out in the water...). Philip lost his new diving goggles when being spun around in the water by a big wave.
Now, we have had our dinner. It turned out to be a buffet. After roasting the food on the fire, two giant red grilled fish and a lot of other stuff were served on a table and everybody got the food and ate at the same time. The food was excellent and it was really very cozy, with the ocean roaring in the background and everybody having their meal at the same time.
Friday, 12 July 2013
This morning we woke up to a fantastic view from our room and to all sorts of exotic bird calls from outside.
We hiked down to the tea factory Dambatenne, through a landscape that looked like a vast Japanese garden with well-manicured rows of tea bushes (actually trees that have been cut back), tall trees, and granite blocks. We saw many people working the tea. They pick 18 kgs of tea leaves every day for only 600 Lkr per day (3,60 Eur.) But they seemed pretty happy, chatting away with each other and greeting us with interest when we passed. It all seemed very idyllic in the sunshine. We passed by their village, consisting of very small and simple cottages with a little plot of land, where they grow vegetables. The houses looked rather well-maintained and attractive. There was even a school up there in the mountains, where we saw a lot of kids. The little children found us very interesting and amusing but their command of English allowed no more than a "Hello".
At the tea factory we were given a guided tour and were explained the procedures of tea making. We were able to buy a packet of their finest "Estate" tea (exclusively from one particular plantation).
On the way home we made a stop in Haputale and invited our tuk-tuk driver for lunch.
The view from our room.
Our hotel, The Hideaway, in the mountains of Sri Lanka is indeed beautifully situated.
The Hideaway (our rooms have the lower balconies on the pictures).
Today we went to Lipton's seat. A place the 19th century tea magnate Lipton liked to visit and watch his tea estates from. Supposedly one of Sri Lankas best viewpoints. Our tuk-tuk guy, Darshana, picked us up at 9 as agreed yesterday. He had estimated the ride to around 1 hour but it actually took closer to 2 hours. We were happy when we eventually could exit the tuk-tuk and stretch our backs to a very impressive 360 degrees view of the surrounding tea plantations.
We hiked down to the tea factory Dambatenne, through a landscape that looked like a vast Japanese garden with well-manicured rows of tea bushes (actually trees that have been cut back), tall trees, and granite blocks. We saw many people working the tea. They pick 18 kgs of tea leaves every day for only 600 Lkr per day (3,60 Eur.) But they seemed pretty happy, chatting away with each other and greeting us with interest when we passed. It all seemed very idyllic in the sunshine. We passed by their village, consisting of very small and simple cottages with a little plot of land, where they grow vegetables. The houses looked rather well-maintained and attractive. There was even a school up there in the mountains, where we saw a lot of kids. The little children found us very interesting and amusing but their command of English allowed no more than a "Hello".
At the tea factory we were given a guided tour and were explained the procedures of tea making. We were able to buy a packet of their finest "Estate" tea (exclusively from one particular plantation).
On the way home we made a stop in Haputale and invited our tuk-tuk driver for lunch.
Thursday, 11 July 2013
The big train ride before us, we got up at eight in the morning to have plenty of time to enjoy the breakfast by the roof top terrace at the Amanda Hills hotel.
The breakfast was indeed perfect with fruit, pancakes, eggs, toasts and a little taste of Sri Lanka with roti, chickpea dip, and a spicy salsa-type dip.
With all our stuff packed, we waited for Hansel (our new German-named acquintance) at 10 o'clock, only to find out that he was either late or was not coming. The train was leaving (at least nominally) at 10.52 from a station far away - so we did not have time to just stand around and hope for little Hansi to show up. So we quickly organized two tuk-tuks to take us to the station. One of them claimed to have the world's best tuk-tuk - a heavily decorated specimen with wooden elephants and the word "Hero" written on the gas handle. He took Philip and Morten and drove like a mad man - quite an exhilarating ride. Philip found it very amusing.
It turned out that the train was more than an hour late, so the rush had been completely unneccesary. The train ride was beautiful and we enjoyed the scenery of lush jungle, little water falls, extensive tea plantations, and mountains. We had a very good lunch on board - smoking hot curry (advertised as "just a little spicy" when we inquired whether Michael would be able to eat it). The ride was incredibly bumpy and slow (probably less than 100 km in the 7 hours it took). We had our windows open the whole time (possible because we were going so slowly) and felt like we could reach out and grab the passing trees.
We got off at the little station between Bandarawela and Ella called Heeloya. A guy with a super-sized tuk-tuk picked us up and drove us to the Hideaway. We could all fit in - even with luggage! We arranged for him to bring us to Lipton's seat tomorrow and be available for a half day tour.
The Hideaway turned out to be very grand - we got a family suite for Morten, Hiroko, and Michael, and a double for Mai and Philip.
The breakfast was indeed perfect with fruit, pancakes, eggs, toasts and a little taste of Sri Lanka with roti, chickpea dip, and a spicy salsa-type dip.
Waiting for Hansi in front of Amanda Hills hotel.
With all our stuff packed, we waited for Hansel (our new German-named acquintance) at 10 o'clock, only to find out that he was either late or was not coming. The train was leaving (at least nominally) at 10.52 from a station far away - so we did not have time to just stand around and hope for little Hansi to show up. So we quickly organized two tuk-tuks to take us to the station. One of them claimed to have the world's best tuk-tuk - a heavily decorated specimen with wooden elephants and the word "Hero" written on the gas handle. He took Philip and Morten and drove like a mad man - quite an exhilarating ride. Philip found it very amusing.
Waiting for the train
It turned out that the train was more than an hour late, so the rush had been completely unneccesary. The train ride was beautiful and we enjoyed the scenery of lush jungle, little water falls, extensive tea plantations, and mountains. We had a very good lunch on board - smoking hot curry (advertised as "just a little spicy" when we inquired whether Michael would be able to eat it). The ride was incredibly bumpy and slow (probably less than 100 km in the 7 hours it took). We had our windows open the whole time (possible because we were going so slowly) and felt like we could reach out and grab the passing trees.
Some pictures of the view from the train.
We got off at the little station between Bandarawela and Ella called Heeloya. A guy with a super-sized tuk-tuk picked us up and drove us to the Hideaway. We could all fit in - even with luggage! We arranged for him to bring us to Lipton's seat tomorrow and be available for a half day tour.
The Hideaway turned out to be very grand - we got a family suite for Morten, Hiroko, and Michael, and a double for Mai and Philip.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
We got up early today to catch an early bus to Kandy. We had to wait half an hour in a hot bus before it finally departed. The bus was very pretty inside, colorfully decorated and with a Hindu God with flashing LEDs in the front.
The drive went through an endless landscape of lush woodlands of mostly coconut (?) palm trees, interspersed with small rice paddies. The bus filled up with passengers as it worked its way towards Kandy until it was completely cramped. As we approached the highlands of Kandy, we could briefly see some mountain views between the trees, but the great scenic spectacle remained absent today. It should be more impressive tomorrow as we take the train onward to Ella.
And then it happened - WE HAD AN ACCIDENT. While overtaking, the idiotic driver hit something hard and with a big bang we came to a halt. The bus stood still on the middle of the road and nobody knew how we could continue the journey. On top of it all it was pissing down! We remained in the bus until the police had come and inspected the accident after which the bus luckily was able to drive on. At this point about two thirds of the passengers had already abandoned the bus and the last 15 minute bus ride was spent in blissful spaciousness.
In Kandy we met a driver called Hansel (ja, wirklich) who drove us to our hotel and who we contracted to pick us up tomorrow morning and take us to the train station.
The hotel, Amanda Hills, was the really nice surprise of the day. It turned out to be a hotel turned vertical - a tall building with several small levels, perched on a hill with a view to the lake and the Temple of the Tooth on the other side. Each level has only a few rooms and a very attractive common sitting are, everything very stylish - and our room has a gorgeous view to the lake.
We were offered afternoon tea by the owner on the rooftop level when we arrived. The owner is a dude called Jude, who was fooling around with Michael.
After tea we took a stroll around the lake. Everybody was trying to get us to see some dancing show relating to the Temple of the Tooth (allegedly Budda's tooth - but of a size more fitting to a buffalo) but it smelled a lot like a tourist trap and the kids anyway weren't interested, so we decided just to take a walk. We saw a monkey and some seriously weird birds on the way.
It started to rain really hard and we got quite wet (we had only brought two umbrellas) before we reached the restaurant on the downtown side of the lake, that we had targeted for dinner (a recommendation from our guide book).
The restaurant, The Devon, was ridiculously cheap and we had freshly made fruit juices, and Philip and I couldn't resist the "Mixed Grill" item on the menu. It turned out to be a huge heap of various meat with a fried egg on top, drenched in a Chinese type sauce. We certainly got a lot for the buck - except quality...
The drive went through an endless landscape of lush woodlands of mostly coconut (?) palm trees, interspersed with small rice paddies. The bus filled up with passengers as it worked its way towards Kandy until it was completely cramped. As we approached the highlands of Kandy, we could briefly see some mountain views between the trees, but the great scenic spectacle remained absent today. It should be more impressive tomorrow as we take the train onward to Ella.
And then it happened - WE HAD AN ACCIDENT. While overtaking, the idiotic driver hit something hard and with a big bang we came to a halt. The bus stood still on the middle of the road and nobody knew how we could continue the journey. On top of it all it was pissing down! We remained in the bus until the police had come and inspected the accident after which the bus luckily was able to drive on. At this point about two thirds of the passengers had already abandoned the bus and the last 15 minute bus ride was spent in blissful spaciousness.
In Kandy we met a driver called Hansel (ja, wirklich) who drove us to our hotel and who we contracted to pick us up tomorrow morning and take us to the train station.
The hotel, Amanda Hills, was the really nice surprise of the day. It turned out to be a hotel turned vertical - a tall building with several small levels, perched on a hill with a view to the lake and the Temple of the Tooth on the other side. Each level has only a few rooms and a very attractive common sitting are, everything very stylish - and our room has a gorgeous view to the lake.
We were offered afternoon tea by the owner on the rooftop level when we arrived. The owner is a dude called Jude, who was fooling around with Michael.
Afternoon tea with a fantastic view!
After tea we took a stroll around the lake. Everybody was trying to get us to see some dancing show relating to the Temple of the Tooth (allegedly Budda's tooth - but of a size more fitting to a buffalo) but it smelled a lot like a tourist trap and the kids anyway weren't interested, so we decided just to take a walk. We saw a monkey and some seriously weird birds on the way.
Walking around the lake in Kandy.
It started to rain really hard and we got quite wet (we had only brought two umbrellas) before we reached the restaurant on the downtown side of the lake, that we had targeted for dinner (a recommendation from our guide book).
The restaurant, The Devon, was ridiculously cheap and we had freshly made fruit juices, and Philip and I couldn't resist the "Mixed Grill" item on the menu. It turned out to be a huge heap of various meat with a fried egg on top, drenched in a Chinese type sauce. We certainly got a lot for the buck - except quality...
Philip facing enough meat to feed a family.
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
In the evening we walked along the coast to find a restaurant recommended by our guide book - King Coconut, entrance guarded by a big plastic T-rex. The beach side restaurant turned out to be excellent, although not mosquito free. We had grilled squid, grilled prawns, and prawn curry. Very tasty and we ate to our heart´s content for less than 30 Eur. total. And when we returned to our hotel, my suitcase had arrived - phew!
Hiroko at the King Coconut beach side restaurant
After some sleep we had a late breakfast at the hotel. Our host served up some nice fruit and the usual egg/toast breakfast. He was very helpful in providing information. We are very pleased with our spacious and clean hotel rooms, by the way.
We then ventured downtown to Negombo town. The whole family squeezed into a tuk-tuk (!) and the ride downtown was breezy and pleasant. The traffic in Negombo is quite humane.
As my suitcase didnt make it through to Colombo (should arrive tonight) we had to go shopping for clothes. It turned out to be very easy and the shops had a big collection of nice looking and very cheap clothes (I could have packed a lot less in my suitcase).
Walking down the busy road with all the shops we found people to be quite friendly and smiling. Many of them took an interest in Michael.
We stopped for some cold lassie, ice coffee, and cake in the Icebear Century Café, which is an old colonial villa with a very nice interor. They had one of the frequent power outages when we came so that put a limit to what they could actually serve, but it was OK.
The next point of interest was the fish market at the tip of the Negombo peninsula. We arrived too late (a morning thing obviously) so the only thing that remained was a nasty pungent smell... However, next to the fish market, by the beach, we saw fish spread out for drying in the sun. Men were carrying big baskets of fish to be dried and women were spreading them out and turning them. Some people were fishing by the beach and we saw a guy catching (using an empty coke bottle for fishing rod) several cat fish in one go. (Not a highly regarded fish for eating in the Western world, but we know from Florida, that they are tasty...).
Another pleasant tuk-tuk ride brought us back to our hotel for refreshing cold showers and chilling out in the rooms.
We then ventured downtown to Negombo town. The whole family squeezed into a tuk-tuk (!) and the ride downtown was breezy and pleasant. The traffic in Negombo is quite humane.
As my suitcase didnt make it through to Colombo (should arrive tonight) we had to go shopping for clothes. It turned out to be very easy and the shops had a big collection of nice looking and very cheap clothes (I could have packed a lot less in my suitcase).
Walking down the busy road with all the shops we found people to be quite friendly and smiling. Many of them took an interest in Michael.
Michael and Morten in front of a colorful bus.
We stopped for some cold lassie, ice coffee, and cake in the Icebear Century Café, which is an old colonial villa with a very nice interor. They had one of the frequent power outages when we came so that put a limit to what they could actually serve, but it was OK.
In the Icebear Century Café
The next point of interest was the fish market at the tip of the Negombo peninsula. We arrived too late (a morning thing obviously) so the only thing that remained was a nasty pungent smell... However, next to the fish market, by the beach, we saw fish spread out for drying in the sun. Men were carrying big baskets of fish to be dried and women were spreading them out and turning them. Some people were fishing by the beach and we saw a guy catching (using an empty coke bottle for fishing rod) several cat fish in one go. (Not a highly regarded fish for eating in the Western world, but we know from Florida, that they are tasty...).
People working the fish at the beach
Another pleasant tuk-tuk ride brought us back to our hotel for refreshing cold showers and chilling out in the rooms.
Arrived in Colombo and all is well. Quatar Airways is indeed very good. Our flight was delayed from Munich so the transfer was very tight (less than 30 min) in Doha - but an employee was waiting for us in Doha airport and guided us quickly to the next connecting flight. The on-board entertainment was excellent, which was important especially for the kids and the food got better as we approached Sri Lanka.
Friday, 5 July 2013
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Preparations
Our travel plan takes shape: Arrival to Colombo at 3.30 am (!) on 09.07. Staying in Negombo close to the airport and beach for 1.5 nights (since we arrive in the middle of the night!) to recover from the travel. Then we are off to Kandy (1 night), Ella (2 nights in this hotel), Arugam Bay (10 nights in a primitive cabana), Dambulla (4 nights in this resort), Kalpitiya (4 nights in this resort). Leaving Colombo airport 20.35 on 31.07.
Hiroko and I went to the stylish practise of goofy Dr. Frühwein in Brienner str., specializing in tropical medicine, to get our final vaccination shots. The kids are already fully immunized. Now we are ready for the jungle...I hope.
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